Your first time on this forum. What were your thoughts and feelings?

by stuckinarut2 25 Replies latest jw experiences

  • stuckinarut2
    stuckinarut2

    Hey all,

    I was just thinking back to the first time I found this awesome forum...years before I evenI joined up and starting posting myself.

    I was so encouraged and happy to see that I was not alone! I was NOT the only one who was observing the org, and all of its aspects and thinking "seriously? Is this for real...etc"

    To see that so many others around the world felt similar to me gave me a great deal of strength and helped me to know that I wasn't the weird one...that I was not the problem.

    Im curious about others reactions? 

    Feel free to share your thoughts.

  • Simon
    Simon

    My first thought was ... why am I the only one here?! 

    It was especially valuable to use when we first left as it not only let us have some sort of social life and friendships with people who understood but it also helped demonstrate that we weren't completely alone and it was "us" - lots of other people were going through the same issues with the religion.

    I think that is the most valuable and powerful thing about the community and why the personal accounts are so useful (such as the "Interview with an apostate" series we did).

  • freemindfade
    freemindfade

    In the beginning there was simon...

    I just wanted to look for hilarious stories from bethel or about crazy watchtower comments, then I thought how it felt good to see some people going through things the same way I did, and maybe I could benefit from them, and also somehow maybe say something that would touch someone, make them laugh, or just help them in anyway. And i was compelled not so long ago to sign up and post.

  • stuckinarut2
    stuckinarut2

    We are grateful indeed to Simon for creating this forum and bringing together a great community!

    thankyou mate!

  • kairos
    kairos

    Nothing but help here. I appreciate it very much.

    It's nice to know that when we are experiencing pain from our lives associated with Watchtower there will be support from fellows.

  • millie210
    millie210

    I had just had a horrible experience with the elders regarding my son. A lot of corrupt things happened in the process.

    I was mind blown about the whole thing. I found this place searching for some kind of answers or like minded people? I dont know quite how to label it. I was a torn and sad person. I was also a pioneer, so I felt very guilty about even accessing this site.

    I would read with one hand over my eyes!

    Sometimes I would get so upset with reading the gradual revealing of the underside of the organization that had been my life, that I would leave and drive or walk for hours just trying to make sense of the two worlds. Here and "there" with "there" being the Kingdom Hall.

    I read for almost 4 years while attending meetings more and more sporadically.

    I still have a lot of family in and my son is out forever with me kind of straddling between the two with the chasm growing ever wider.

    The two things that have helped me the most are for one, the actual facts of course. If a person takes time to read, there is a gold mine of information that has been compiled here.

    The second big help has been the kindness and patience shown me by posters who already had advanced well beyond the point I was at but who were willing to help me muddle along at my own pace.

    I will be forever in their debt and try really hard to extend that to other new ones when I come across them here.

  • wannaexit
    wannaexit

    Best thing i ever done is join this forum. I've learned more about my own "religion" from members of this community that I did during the 40 years of association with watchtower.

  • eyeuse2badub
    eyeuse2badub

    After 60 years of being a dub and hearing the same stuff, repeating the same stuff and somehow knowing that it was bs, I started looking around to see if others felt the same way and why did they feel that way. I was willing to go it alone but it's nice to hear how others woke up and realized ttatt. What a sap I was! Damn

    just saying!

  • eyeuse2badub
    eyeuse2badub

    It was my mother's religion just like so many of here. What a sap she was! Double damn

    just saying!

  • Bonsai
    Bonsai
    I remember when I first lurked on this site not so long ago.  My heart was beating fast.  My hands were sweating and I kept looking over my shoulder even though there was no one else in the room.  Having already lost most of my friends and family, this site has been very therapeutic.  I appreciate it..

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